By Ojukwu Emmanuel Chiadikaobi

Olubunmi Abodunde is a Nigerian man who relocated to the UK in 2022, has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Taiwo, using their son’s skateboard. The brutal incident, which took place in their Newmarket home, has concluded with a guilty plea from Abodunde just as the trial was set to begin.

The couple, who shared three children and moved from Nigeria to the UK in 2022, were reportedly embroiled in continuous disputes over alleged infidelities and financial disagreements. Suffolk Police had previously investigated 48-year-old Abodunde multiple times concerning domestic violence allegations. On the day prior to the murder, he was barred from their home due to these issues but violated this order, leading to the fatal attack.

Police were called to the scene on the morning of the murder after receiving reports of disturbances. They found Taiwo Abodunde deceased, with severe head injuries caused by a skateboard. An autopsy later revealed she had been initially strangled and stomped on before the fatal blows were delivered. The intense violence of the attack was evidenced by the damage to the skateboard used as a weapon.

During the proceedings at Ipswich Crown Court, it was disclosed that the couple had a violent argument the day before the murder, resulting in Taiwo sustaining a split lip. Abodunde, who pleaded guilty, claimed self-defense in a prior statement, alleging his wife had attacked him with a knife. However, this was contradicted by the absence of a knife at the scene and the nature of Taiwo’s injuries.

Judge Martyn Levett presided over the case, stating that life imprisonment was the only possible sentence for such a heinous crime. The case has also led to an investigation of three police officers by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over potential misconduct in their response to the domestic violence calls.

Detective Inspector Dan Connick of Suffolk Police expressed relief that the family would be spared the ordeal of a trial, acknowledging the lasting impact of the tragedy on the community and the victim’s family. Taiwo Abodunde, remembered as a compassionate care home assistant, is mourned by her colleagues and the families she served at Cambridge Manor Care Home.

Olubunmi Abodunde is set to be sentenced on May 9, as the community and Taiwo’s family await final closure on this distressing chapter.